Chindlistei trail

This hiking trail leads via the Gesundheitsweg (health trail) from Heiden up to the Chindlistei rock at 940 m above sea level. Deep and long grooves, steps and various patterns are carved into the sandstone formation. Break points at the rock face are proof that stone was quarried here in the past. This rock is popularly known as the Devil’s or Witch's Pulpit, going back to the Appenzell witch hunts from the 14th to the 17th centuries. There are many other myths and legends associated with the rock. It is said, for example, that it boosts women’s fertility. The strong energetic force of the Chindlistei rock has indeed been proven, measured at 15,000 Bovis units. On the western face of the rock, three figures have been painted in natural recesses.